Mental Health
Alcoholism
A chronic addiction to alcohol that progressively destroys the liver, brain, and vital organs while producing severe nutritional deficiencies — recovery requires complete abstinence and comprehensive nutritional rebuilding.
Also known as: Alcohol Dependence, Alcohol Addiction, Alcohol Use Disorder, palpitations (definition: sensation of rapid or irregular heartbeat), arrhythmia (definition: irregular heartbeat), hypertension (definition: high blood pressure), cirrhosis (definition: liver scarring from chronic damage), hepatitis (definition: inflammation of the liver)
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Alcohol absorbed without digestion — travels to every cell, extracting water and weakening tissues; Liver slowly breaks down alcohol to sugar — eventually leads to fatty liver and cirrhosis; Alcohol deceptively feels stimulating while actually suppressing and damaging.
First thing to try: CAUTION -- for someone who drinks heavily or daily, stopping alcohol suddenly can trigger dangerous or life-threatening withdrawal, including seizures and delirium tremens. Do NOT quit cold turkey alone -- withdrawal should be medically supervised, and detox medication may be needed. Seek medical help before stopping, and call your local emergency number for confusion, hallucinations, a racing heart, high fever, or seizures. The nutrition and mineralA natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium or magnesium. More → measures below are supportive recovery ideas only and must never replace medically supervised withdrawal.
See a doctor if: Delirium tremens (hallucinations, seizures) is a medical emergency — call 911.
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Alcohol absorbed without digestionHow your body breaks food down into pieces small enough to use for energy. More → — travels to every cell, extracting water and weakening tissues
- Liver slowly breaks down alcohol to sugar — eventually leads to fatty liver and cirrhosis
- Alcohol deceptively feels stimulating while actually suppressing and damaging
- Most alcoholics are hypoglycemic — alcohol feeds the blood sugar craving
- Alcohol extracts 70 calories per ounce while providing no nutrition — producing severe deficiency
- Social and psychological factors contribute to the addiction cycle
Change what you can
- CAUTION -- for someone who drinks heavily or daily, stopping alcohol suddenly can trigger dangerous or life-threatening withdrawal, including seizures and delirium tremens. Do NOT quit cold turkey alone -- withdrawal should be medically supervised, and detox medication may be needed. Seek medical help before stopping, and call your local emergency number for confusion, hallucinations, a racing heart, high fever, or seizures. The nutrition and mineralA natural building block your body needs in small amounts, like calcium or magnesium. More → measures below are supportive recovery ideas only and must never replace medically supervised withdrawal.
- Stop drinking alcohol entirely — there is no safe level for an alcoholic
- Begin eating very nutritious food immediately
- Minerals: zinc, iron, potassium, calcium, essential fatty acids, bioflavonoids, adequate protein
- Sea kelp supports thyroid function (critical in recovery)
- Quassia chips destroy the taste for liquor: 1 tsp. in 1 cup boiled water, steep 30 min; swallow every 2 hours
- Orange peel blended with water and cayenne helps wean away from liquor
- Angelica teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → helps produce disgust for alcohol
- Chamomile teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → helps during withdrawal
- Tyrosine and tryptophan amino acids + vitaminA natural substance your body needs in small amounts to stay healthy, like vitamin C or D. More → B6, niacin, hops, valerian, and passionflower — excellent combination for getting off alcohol
- Slippery elm is good to drink during withdrawal
- 1 tsp. honey when craving hits (supplies potassium depleted by alcohol; can replace the urge for beer)
- Potato peel soup: high in potassium — eat often with meals
- Charcoal (1 tsp. 50/50 with honey) helps sober a drunk person
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
This is the essential first step — alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening, so all supportive measures here are meant to accompany medically supervised withdrawal, not replace it.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: A doctor can assess withdrawal risk and, when needed, provide medications that prevent seizures and delirium tremens — dangers that home remedies cannot safely manage.
- Contact a physician, addiction treatment program, or your local emergency department to plan withdrawal safely, especially if you have been drinking heavily for weeks or longer.
- Ask specifically about your risk for severe withdrawal or delirium tremens based on your drinking history.
- Arrange supervised care (outpatient monitoring or inpatient treatment) as recommended by the medical provider.
- Have a trusted person stay with you during early withdrawal and know when to call 911.
First 3-7 days of withdrawal, when risk is highest · Once to arrange care, then ongoing medical follow-up
Caution: Withdrawal after heavy, prolonged drinking can cause seizures or delirium tremens, which can be fatal without medical treatment. Never attempt to manage severe alcohol withdrawal completely alone without any medical involvement. Sudden complete cessation without medical guidance can be more dangerous than a supervised taper for heavy, long-term drinkers.
When to get help: Call 911 immediately for seizures, hallucinations, severe confusion, or a rapid heartbeat during withdrawal.
Source: RemedyRank editorial review
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
Supportive nutrition to use alongside medically supervised withdrawal and ongoing treatment, not as a stand-alone approach.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Chronic heavy alcohol use displaces nutrition and depletes key vitamins and minerals, so restoring balanced meals supports the body's healing once withdrawal is being medically managed.
- Eat regular, balanced meals with lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as tolerated.
- Include potassium-rich foods such as potatoes and bananas, since alcohol depletes potassium.
- Avoid replacing alcohol cravings with large amounts of sugar or excess caffeine, which can worsen blood sugar swings.
- Continue this pattern for weeks to months as part of ongoing recovery, alongside medical and nutritional follow-up.
Ongoing through recovery, at least several weeks · Daily, with each meal
Caution: This supports but does not replace medical treatment or monitoring during withdrawal, especially thiamine (vitamin B1) replacement, which often requires medical dosing. Sudden changes in diet during acute withdrawal should be discussed with the supervising medical team.
When to get help: Call 911 immediately for seizures, hallucinations, severe confusion, or rapid heartbeat during withdrawal.
Source: RemedyRank editorial review
Comments & experiences ▾
A supportive, ongoing recovery habit to use after the medically supervised withdrawal period, alongside continued treatment.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Social support and regular gentle activity help regulate mood and reduce relapse risk during the ongoing recovery period that follows medical withdrawal.
- Identify a support person, group, or counselor to check in with regularly during early recovery.
- Get outdoor exercise, such as a daily walk, as your doctor confirms it's safe to do so.
- Avoid situations and environments where drinking is likely, especially in the early weeks.
- Continue attending any recommended follow-up counseling or support meetings.
Ongoing through recovery · Daily to weekly, as sustained habits
Caution: This supports long-term recovery but does not address acute withdrawal risk, which requires medical supervision first. Relapse risk is highest in early recovery — having a support plan in place before problems arise is safest.
When to get help: Call 911 immediately for any return of severe withdrawal symptoms such as seizures, confusion, or hallucinations.
Source: RemedyRank editorial review
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Delirium tremens (hallucinations, seizures) is a medical emergency — call 911.
- Otherwise, supervised withdrawal is safer than cold-turkey alone.
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your alcoholism — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Alcohol is absorbed directly through the stomach wall without digestionHow your body breaks food down into pieces small enough to use for energy. More → and travels to every cell, extracting water and weakening or killing cells. The liver slowly breaks alcohol down, eventually leading to fatty degeneration and cirrhosis. Most alcoholics are hypoglycemic or borderline diabetics. Alcohol produces severe nutritional deficiencies while falsely signaling satiety.
Alcohol dependence is a chronic condition in which the body and mind come to rely on alcohol, and over time it harms the liver, brain, heart, and nervous system while draining the body of essential nutrients. It is best understood not as a moral failing but as a health condition that responds to support, structure, and treatment.
Recovery is genuinely possible, and compassion matters as much as resolve. One crucial safety point: in someone who is heavily dependent, suddenly stopping can trigger dangerous withdrawal, so detox should be done with medical supervision rather than alone. The lasting natural support comes alongside professional care and counseling — rest, rehydration, and a nourishing diet to repair deficiencies, plus the encouragement of supportive community. Reaching out for help is a courageous and hopeful first step, not a sign of weakness.
Common signs
- Dependence on alcoholic beverages
- Depression and blackouts
- Hangovers and emotional problems
- Flushing of the face and forgetfulness
- Heart palpitations and indigestion
- Insomnia and urinary problems
- Hepatitis and hypertension
- Numbness in the extremities
- Advanced: cirrhosis of the liver, cardiac arrhythmia
- Social: legal problems, divorce, job loss
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts — nourishing with fiber
- Potato peel soup for potassium
- Nutritious whole foods — absolutely essential
- Sea kelp
- Tyrosine and tryptophan (amino acids)
Go easy on
- ALL alcohol — zero tolerance
- Milk, wheat, corn, chocolate, sugar — increase craving for alcohol
- Meat — brings back craving for alcohol; stop eating it
- Strong coffee — do not substitute coffee for alcohol
People who eat good nourishing food are less likely to crave stimulants and addictive substances. Get regular outdoor exercise. Meat eating will bring back the craving for alcohol — stop it.
⚖️ Good to know
- Do not substitute large amounts of sugar products or strong coffee after quitting — sugar worsens hypoglycemia
- The blood sugar connection is key — address hypoglycemia with proper nutrition
- Get regular outdoor exercise
- Seek support — stay with someone who will not allow temptation
💙 If it ever feels like too much
Heavy feelings are not a failure of faith — and you don't have to carry them alone. If you or someone you love is thinking about self-harm or suicide, please reach out right now:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): call or text 988 — free, confidential, 24/7.
- Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741.
- Outside the US: findahelpline.com ↗ lists free helplines by country.
- If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 (or your local emergency number).
Natural supports can walk alongside professional care — never in place of it when life is at risk.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Alcohol withdrawal can be dangerous and is safest under medical supervision.
Commonly offered
- Medically supervised withdrawal with benzodiazepines for moderate–severe cases–
- Fluids, thiamine (B1), and electrolyte correction–
- Monitoring for seizures and delirium tremens–
- Linking to ongoing addiction treatment–
Worth knowing
- Severe withdrawal (seizures, confusion, hallucinations/DTs) is life-threatening — seek medical care.
- Heavy, long-term drinkers should not quit abruptly without medical support.
- Thiamine must be given to prevent brain injury.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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